The Warriors Way
by IceLights
Summary: Harry Potter is fed up with his life after the war. his friends have turned on him, his mentor is dead, he finds an unexpected friend in an unexpected place who offers him a way out. Harry/Dis pairing. New Author, IceLights, previous Author, ShadowCheifton.
1. Chapter 1

The Warriors Way

Hey this is the first chapter written by Bramble and posted by me, i hope to continue this soon =)

Enjoy….

Chapter One

In an ancient castle up in the Scottish highlands, hundreds of people were celebrating the defeat of the dark lord Voldermort. Teachers, aurors and schoolchildren laughed and joked with each other in what was left of the Hogwarts grounds.

Just over an hour had passed since he had defeated the dark lord. He knew that he should be happy that he had finally destroyed the loathsome, foul creature that had taken away everything that he had ever wanted, a family. Up until fifth year he had thought that he had a family in the Weasleys and Hermione. However, like most things in his life the things he loved never lasted. He snorted at the thought.

_He had been walking down the corridor at the end of fifth year, upset about Sirius when he had caught sight of Ron and Hermione in front of him. Harry had smiled as he sped up to them. He stopped however as their words drifted back to him._

"_I don't feel safe around Potter anymore Ron!" Hermione had moaned as she hung onto Ron's hand_

"_I know love, neither do I!" Ron spat "he is a murderer, he killed Sirius!" _

_Hermione was nodding fervently at Ron at this point "just think, that could have been one of us. I don't know about you Ronald but I am done with him! I value my life and yours to highly to just be slung away like human shields when he runs head first into danger when he feels like it!" Hermione ranted, Ron was loudly agreeing with her._

_Harry stopped and leant against the cold stone wall in shock. He had lost one person that night. Now he had lost two more._

Harry had thrown himself into his studies, soon exceeding even Hermione with his grades. He became reclusive, avoiding contact with anyone except Dobby and surprisingly Professor Snape, who never treated him like he was some hero. Harry had clung to that; he needed to know someone thought of him as a normal person.

Malfoy's spiteful comments that would usually end up with a fight in retaliation, just rolled off of his back as he studiously ignored the snotty little bleached brat, soon even Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins ignored him when they realised he wasn't going to attack them. They just nodded in acknowledgment to each other when they passed in corridors or the Great Hall.

Professor Dumbledore of course soon warmed back up to him after fifth year. But Harry was having none of it. He was done with the man's messing in his life.

Professor Snape had kept him after class one day to question why he was cold with the headmaster.

"_With all due respect Professor Snape" Harry had replied politely "I do not agree with that man's meddling in my life. He things it his right to control people like chess pieces, sacrificing us like pawns when he sees fit to do so" he finished as he stared into his professors dark eyes._

"_I see…" Snape hissed silkily, dragging out the 's' sound like a snake._

_Harry nodded in respect to the teacher as he turned to the door to leave._

"_Potter" Snape murmured as he stared at his once most hated student "I…agree" he finished slowly._

Harry shook his head as he smirked at the memory. Snape had been confusing to deal with for the last two and a bit years. The man had helped him more than anyone else though, and that had meant a lot to Harry.

Harry stood up from the steps and strode around the battlefield. He closed the open vacant eyes of the fallen as he passed them. The few who were doing the same nodded at him gratefully as they rolled their eyes and glared at the celebrating crowds.

Harry stared in disgust at the happy people who deemed it perfectly acceptable to celebrate on a battlefield where the fighters that had fallen to the dark were still strewn about across Hogwarts grounds in various states of horrific death.

Once he had defeated the dark lord everyone had hurtled outside to celebrate. Harry had received a few pats on the back and a tiny amount of 'well done' praises.

A presence next to him had Harry whipping his wand out as he snapped his head to the side, sighing in relief as he stared up at the towering presence of Firenze, the blonde centaur. He murmured in greeting as they walked through the battlefield.

"There is a time and a place for celebration" Firenze started slowly as he peered at the stars "and celebrating over the dead is looked down upon by few" he finished.

Harry snorted "and overlooked by many it seems"

Firenze hummed in agreement as he murmured a quiet 'farewell' and trotted off into the night.

Harry sighed; he did not know what he was going to do now.


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter written by Bramble =)

Chapter Two

Harry peered around desperately with a panicked look as the crowds pulled at him and took pictures of "the chosen one". He had stupidly decided to go to Diagon Alley just two days after the final battle. Harry had thought that since the alley was still being repaired, most people would not be there.

Oh how wrong he was!

Upon entering the alley he had been attacked by crowds upon crowds of fans and well-wishers. Where were they two days ago huh?! Celebrating on the battlefield while the fallen still lay in pools of their own blood at their feet! They sickened him. Absolutely sickened him. They were all for the Weasleys two days ago, now they had turned their attention back to him. Subsequently ignoring the Weasley's in the process, that was one thing to be smug about, until he realised with annoyance that he quite enjoyed the lack of attention from everybody.

He had spent the first few years at Hogwarts as an innocent little Gryffindor. Looking back he realised just how firmly he had been under Dumbledore's thumb. Well, how everyone was under that man's thumb really. Even Snape, to a certain extent, had been Dumbledore's.

Although Harry was sad that a brilliant man and an even more unexpected friend had perished in the battle, he knew that Severus Snape was better off far away from here, far away from being the puppet of two masters, each as cruel as the other in different ways. It was sad, he supposed, he had had hardly any time to cherish his mentors friendship before it was cruelly ripped away. He was sick of losing everyone he had ever called friend and family.

Snape had mentored him, it was an unexpected, but welcome help. The man was a harsh teacher, not in an abusive way, certainly not, but in a way that had him training for hours on end with a time turner and the room of requirement as a hiding place from Dumbledore. The Professor had taught him all he knew, light spells, dark spells, defence spells and potions. Harry had been hesitant to learn the dark arts, but as Snape said, 'you cannot possible fight what you do not understand', so that's what he did, he fought fire with fire.

Severus Snape had also taught him the one thing that allowed him to feel close to Sirius, even if his godfather was dead. Harry Potter had become an animagus, and not just any kind of animagus, oh no.

Harry Potter had become the wizarding world's first magical animagus. It was a mighty shock to both mentor and apprentice when Harry finally completed the change.

"_Focus" Snape hissed quietly as he stared intently at his apprentice, "feel it, believe in it, accept it as a part of you!" the professor finished as he stepped back to give his student space._

_Harry closed his eyes and focussed on the burning feeling in his chest. He did not know what he was going to become, but he looked forward to it all the same. Now what did Snape say? _

'_Focus'. He breathed in deeply and exhaled puffs of air as they stood in a clearing deep in the Forbidden Forest, he blocked out his surroundings and focussed on himself, he trusted his professor to keep them safe from harm if something or someone attacked. _

'_Feel it'. He could feel it, and Merlin did it hurt! He could feel himself getting taller and broader, bones snapped and twisted to form new ones, bigger ones, itchy hair sprouted bringing a stinging sensation with it, and finally the worst. Harry fell to the floor with a strangled scream, faintly hearing Snapes voice yell "Accept it!"_

_But how could he accept it? It was hurting him! He could feel its presence clawing its way into his mind, trying to take control of him. But wait, Sirius had done this, his father had done this. Hell! Even the rat had done this. He could do it! For his father and godfather, for professor Snape who was doing his damned hardest to get him through this war unscathed. Harry could not bear the look of disappointment on his mentors face if he failed at this task because he got a little scared._

'_NO!' he yelled in his mind 'I accept thee, as part of me, heart, mind, body and soul!'_

_A burning sensation shot through his entire body, like flames licking their way through his insides and made their way to his heart where it got so hot and painful, Harry couldn't find the strength to even scream, instead his mouth gaped in a silent scream. And then, as if it had never been there, it ended. It was all over._

_Piercing emerald green eyes shot open as Harry raised a hand to his face to wipe the sweat away. Wait a hand. His eyes focussed on his _very human_ hand, he couldn't stop the wave of disappointment that swept through him. It hadn't worked…_

_The sound of clapping made him look up to peer at Snape, who was looking at him with something akin to pride on his normally severe face._

_Why would he have pride on his face? He had not managed the change. Harry brought his hand down off of his face and placed it on his hip. He could feel fur. He peered down hesitantly at the bottom half of his body. Sleek silky black fur covered him from his waist down. Four strong muscled legs covered in black fur were folded underneath him, no feet were at the end of them though, black shiny hooves replaced where feet should have been._

_A centaur. A bloody centaur! Harry Potter was a centaur! But despite the shock, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. He had always admired the centaurs, well, Firenze anyway. Bayne….not so much._

"_Stand up then Potter, don't just sit there all day!" Snape snapped impatiently at him._

_Harry rolled his eyes at the man and slowly, unsteadily stood up on shaky legs. He hesitantly took a step forward…and promptly tripped over. He was like a new born foal taking its first steps. But like a foal, he soon found he could maintain his balance quite good after half hour._

_He tried to twist his head behind him to get a good look at himself but that didn't work. _

_Snape sighed and transfigured a rock into a full size mirror for him to look at himself. He was tall. Very tall, probably about seven foot at the most. He had shiny sleek black fur that covered the muscular horse side of his body. He had a long black tail that moved slightly in the breeze. His human torso was heavily muscled in the normal thick muscled body of the centaurs, he was tanned a light brown. His face had become more defined and angular; in no way did he look like a horse. His short messy black hair now fell in silky waves down his broad shoulders. His emerald green eyes seemed brighter and they held a light to them that was not there before. He had no need for his glasses anymore, Snape disposed of them and corrected his eyes for him because they would be 'a hindrance in battle', which, Harry supposed, they would be. A single accio would have him defeated._

_A Centaur…_

Harry had been taught by Firenze as well. The palomino Centaur had taught him astronomy, how to run and jump in this form and how to shoot a bow and arrow. When Harry had changed back to his human form, he had found that some traits of the Centaur animagus form had stayed. His once messy black hair had stayed in its longer wavy form like the Centaur. He had also retained the muscle mass of his form. And, he was extremely happy to note, he had shot up in height to about six foot! He was very pleased!

Harry had grown up at the end of fifth year when _they_ had betrayed him. It was a good awakening, a cruel one, but good all the same. It made him realise he was acting the chess piece, the sacrifice. Because that was what he was right? A sacrifice. It had been Snape that found him in the Forest of Dean and told him of Dumbledore's plans to sacrifice him in the final battle. Even dead the man was a menace.

"_Potter!" a smooth voice slid out from the shadows. Harry jumped and snapped his wand in the direction of the voice, yelling "Sectumsempra!" only to have the spell deflected._

"_Lumos!" the voice hissed._

_Harry yelped as a very bright white light filled the clearing he was standing in. He had been following a patronus, a doe patronus to be exact and it had led him to this clearing with a pond in the middle of it._

"_Tut tut Potter" the voice hissed, Harry rolled his eyes at the man in front of him, always one for drama that one, "using my own spells against me, how pathetic of you" Snape drawled._

"_Hey! I'll have you know that if it wasn't you I had fired it at, they would not be standing where you currently are now!" Harry cried in defence before stopping as Snape smirked at him, "Bastard! Taking the bloody piss out of me" he sighed, the man loved winding him up, "What brings you to my humble abode?" he questioned sarcastically._

_Snape glared at him for his cheek before replying, "Dumbledore intends for you to die in the final duel between you and the Dark Lord" he stated bluntly as his black eyes glinted in the wand light, "I thought I would get straight to the point, no use in tiptoeing around it"_

_Harry gaped at him, straight to the point?! No shit Sherlock!, he thought before Snapes words filtered through and registered with his overactive brain, "He what?!" Harry shrieked as he flung his hands up in the air in anger and frustration._

Harry Potter was sick of a lot of things. He was sick of the fame, sick of the attention, sick of the marriage offers, sick of the Weasleys and Granger, sick of- well, you get the idea right?

Oh, did he forget to mention- HE WAS ABSOLUTELY SICK OF THIS WORLD!

"No I will not marry your daughter!" Harry snapped at a lady who had shoved her eleven- yes eleven! Year old daughter in front of him.

"But Mr Potter-" the woman whined and she fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"No I have to-!" Harry stopped mid-sentence as he felt a tug at his jean clad leg.

If this was another person wanting a piece of his clothes he was going to go ins- "Griphook!" he cried in relief as he spotted the Goblin, who flashed a smirk full of sharp teeth at him.

"Lovely day is it not Mr Potter?" the goblin questioned innocently.

Harry glared down at Griphook half-heartedly. The Goblin had remained the only true friend he had left in this world besides Firenze, even if he was a conniving stealing little bugger!

"If you would follow me Mr Potter, we can escape these hooligans" Griphook growled as three Goblin warriors appeared in front of him, making the crowds scatter at the heavily armoured Goblins.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as the huge heavy doors of Gringotts bank slammed shut.

"Come with me" Griphook called as he disappeared down a hallway behind the desks "he has business to discuss with you"

Harry blinked after the Goblin before he ran after his friend. The Goblin in question was waiting patiently outside a mahogany door with, what Harry suspected was solid gold doorknobs. As he arrived Griphook opened the door and waved him inside.

Harry entered suspiciously as he gazed around the posh immaculate office before his gaze locked on the Goblin in front of him.

"I am Ragnok Mr Potter" he stated as he gestured for Harry to sit, "Leader of the Goblin Nation, I am pleased you could make it"

"Uh, I am pleased to be here?" Harry replied all though it came out as a question.

Ragnok leaned forward and clasped his fingers under his chin, "I think you are wondering why you are here, yes?" he questioned with a smirk.

Harry rubbed the back of his head and winced as he pressed against the sore spot where an overenthusiastic member of the public had tried to grab a lock off his hair, "The thought did cross my mind" he said with a hint of sarcasm.

Ragnok stared at him disapprovingly, "Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit Mr Potter" he chastised.

Harry merely leaned back in his chair and smirked at Ragnok, "I learnt from the best" he flashed a toothy smile at the leader. Well, it was true he had learned from the best. Severus Snape was well known for his viper tongue.

"You are merely existing, not living" Ragnok stated, it was not a question. "I am offering you a way out"

Harry gaped at him, "A way out…" he breathed, and he was well aware of the sneakiness of the Goblins though, "What's the catch? What's in it for you?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, you have already saved us Harry Potter" Ragnok said seriously, "you saved the Goblin Nation from the Dark Lord and for that we are grateful. We always repay those who have done us a good deed, and we are offering you a way out as you are not living here" he stated as he peered at Harry.

"As for that catch you spoke of. It is a rather big one"

"Tell me" Harry ordered as he leaned forward conversationally.

"As you wish" Ragnok bowed his head at him, "You would be sent to another world to live your life. You could choose to live it as you wish, no fighting. But I warn you now, if you do not fight in the war's that will plague this world then you would live a life of hell, to put it bluntly" Harry gaped at him in shock.

"What's in it for me?"

"You would keep your powers, no one would know you there, you can live a nice long life if you choose and…your mate is their"

Harry did not even weigh up the consequences, "how do we do this?"

Ragnok clapped his hands together; "Excellent, it was nice meeting you Mr Potter" suddenly a huge lethal throwing knife was flying through the air at him.

There was a searing pain in his chest and then blackness swallowed him up and he knew no-more.

Hey guys! Yes Ragnok did kill him, he had to as Harry had to die to be sent away. This will not be slash, although once I finish this I will probably do a slash version of this.

I don't know who to pair him with….little help please? Maybe Dis or Tauriel….hmmm


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